Contact Us

Virtual Resources for the Modern Security Operation

Virtual Resources for the Modern Security Operation

AUGUST 19, 2015

Every organization has a risk profile, even if it hasn’t been identified.

If an organization hasn’t gone through the process of accounting for its threats and vulnerabilities, the organization’s risk is still real, continuing to evolve and affect the business daily. Most companies don’t have the staff resources necessary to meet their risk management needs, and unfortunately their exposure won’t decrease to accommodate staffing shortages.

Virtual resources are an excellent way to bolster a company’s security posture with the added support of an experienced security consulting firm. If an organization’s size or financial resources cannot support a full-time headcount, virtual resources scale to meet that need as it occurs in specialized areas such as hands-on technology management, a virtual chief security officer (vCSO), or a virtual chief information security officer (vCISO).

A scalable staffing solution can benefit an organization of any size. Many small to mid-size companies have limited or no in-house security functions, often leaving exposures unaddressed; and an organization large enough to warrant a robust team of security professionals is likely too large for its staff to effectively handle.

Whatever an organization’s size, holistic security program development is crucial to protecting its key assets (people, property and information). Virtual resources can manage or contribute to this process wherever the program exists in its development lifecycle. For some programs, this may begin with drafting first-time documentation of basic policies. A more mature program may simply need assistance managing its governance process.

Virtual resources can improve the physical and logical security program with functions including:

Business Case Development / Expenditure Justification

Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) Framework Management

Security Awareness Education

Security Staff Vetting & Placement

Corporate Policy & SOP Development

Incident Management / Emergency Response Protocol

Hands-on Technology Management & Deployment Quality Assurance

Technology Evaluation

Guard Force Management & Contract Negotiation

Corporate Investigations

Modern institutions can no longer afford to let vital security functions go unperformed or underperformed. Each risk profile is unique, and effective management requires a full compilation of expertise. Virtual resources put the expertise at your disposal, filling the gaps to the extent required, allowing your organization the opportunity to perform at maximum efficiency.

Robert Bramlett is a program manager for Guidepost Solutions Managed Services team. He has nearly ten years of experience in the security industry and is responsible for the management and delivery of the Managed Services offering, a remote programming service for security management platforms that provides operational continuity and transparent management of complex system deployments.